Rocks, Walls and Living Spaces

FTLComm - Tisdale - May 19, 2001

There is no reason for each house and yard to look similar and is so often the case, even follow the same landscaping conventions. Just like the clothes we wear or the cars we drive there is a reasonable amount of conformity that we share with others but every so often some special qualities emerge. This Tisdale yard has an interesting contour sitting beside the Doghide and having a considerable difference in elevation to contend with. But the home owner has taken some local materials (rocks) combined it with concrete and mortar to produce an environment that suits the lot and obviously his own skills. The picture at the top of the pages illustrates a solution to the extremes in elevation he had to contend with and you can see he constructed a retaining wall, a narrow stairway, some shelves to hold planters and a neat pair of flower beds. Though he has utilised local stone a similar result could be achieved with cement alone. One often thinks that using stones speeds up the process of a project like this but in reality working with rock requires experience patience and a little more physical strength then might otherwise be needed for wall construction. However, in this example the work looks great and has a special old country charm. The picture below of the wall is a nice piece of work and will out last the life of this home. Using permanent materials for yard landscaping seems to add not only a solid durable atmosphere but seems to make a statement about time as materials like this require no upkeep and will look pretty much the way they do now a hundred years from now.